Electric heater member for apparatus for permanently waving the hair



June s, 1948. w. L. FRY 2,443,133

ELECTRIC HEATER MEMBER FOR APPARATUS FOR PERMANENTLY WAVING THE HAIR Filed Jan. 29, 1946 Patented 'June 8, 1948 ELECTRIC HEATER MEMBER FOR APPA- RATUS FOR PERMANENTLY WAVING THE HAIR Walter Lewis Fry, South Merstham, Redhill, England Application January 29, 1946, Serial No. 644,145 In Great Britain February 12, 1945 1 Claim. 1

This invention relates to electrical apparatus for permanently waving the hair and is concerned more particularly with the heater members adapted to be clipped over the curls after these have been formed by Winding the hair on suitable curlers.

It is the main object of the invention to provide improved electric heater members which shall be such that they will apply heat substantially uniformly to all points of the curls. Further objects are to construct such heater members so that they will be unaffected by the moisture usually present during the curling operation and be simple to produce and assemble.

According to the invention an electric heater member for the purpose set forth comprises a clip composed of two co-operating spring-closed clamping jaws of heat-conducting material each containing within itself an electric heating element.

The heating elements are preferably wound on a rod, tube or strip of an insulating material, such as porcelain or mica, and, with advantage, are coated or impregnated with an insulating varnish or cement capable of withstanding the normal working temperature of the heating elements, usually about 200 C. The elements may be designed to operate on any normal mains supply of electricity or may be arranged to operate on a relatively low voltage supply delivered, for example, by a step-down transformer connected to a mains supply of alternating current.

As will be understood, the jaws of the heater member are so shaped, e. g. formed of semiannular cross-section, that, when closed, they will encircle a curler having the hair wound thereon. The heating elements are preferably accommodated in longitudinally extending bores or recesses formed in the respective jaws and may be retained therein by means of end plates. Most suitably they are arranged for electrical connection in series.

In order that the nature of the invention may be clearly understood, an example of a heater member in accordance therewith will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation, taken on the line II of Fig. 4, showing the heater member with electrical connections omitted,

Fig. 2 is a front elevation thereof,

Fig. 3 is a side elevation, and

Fig. 4 is a plan view.

As shown, the heater member comprises two aluminum jaws I and 2 of substantially semiannular cross-section pivoted together adjacent one longitudinal edge by the aid of a pin 3 engaging aligned apertures in outwardly extending lugs la and 2a on the respective jaws I and 2. These jaws are normally urged to a closed position (that illustrated) by a rat-trap spring 4 encircling the pin 3 and having its projecting ends engaged with the jaws as shown in Fig. 1. In this setting the jaws enclose a, cylindrical space of a size to receive as a close fit the prepared curl of hair to be waved, each curl" being wound on a curler and a protector being disposed between the curl and the scalp of the customer to shield the latter from the heated jaws, in the well-known manner.

Insulating handles or finger-grips 5 of similar shape are secured one to each jaw l or 2, by means of screws 6 engaging apertures in the lugs la or 2a, respectively, in order to facilitate the opening or handling of the jaws and these handles carry terminal elements 1 to each of which electrical connections are adapted to be made at binding screws 10 and lb.

Each jaw 1 or 2 is thickened adjacent to the pivot 3 and bored longitudinally at. 8, through the thickened portion to accommodate an electric heating element 9 composed of resistance wire wound on a rod of porcelain or the like and impregnated with an insulating varnish or cement capable of withstanding the operating temperature of the element. These elements 9 are retained in the bores 8 by end plates I0 secured on the end faces of the jaws by means of screws H (see Fig. 3) and are electrically connected in series between the terminal elements I. The ends of the wire on each element are threaded through passages I2 (shown in Fig. 4) formed in the lugs la or 2a, respectively, to be attached to the appropriate binding screws 1a and each conductor of a twin flexible lead (not shown) is connected to one of the binding screws lb of each jaw, a separate short conducting lead (not shown) being arranged to connect the remaining binding screws 1b of the two jaws together. The twin lead may be replaced by a triple lead having two current-supply conductors connected as just described and a third earthing conductor connected electrically to one of the screws 6, as will be understood.

The terminal elements 7 are covered by insulating members l3 secured on the inner surfaces of the handles 5 by screws it, these members serving also as cord grips to engage the electric leads. The latter may be associated in groups of, say, three and connected as a group to the contacts 3 of a single connector or adapter which is adapted to be engaged in a socket or the like supplied with electric current and supported in the usual way on the head of a pedestal or standard.

Owing to the location of the heating elements 9 within and, in close, heat-,econductingl relation to thejaws I sandZ: which have; themselves: good heat-conducting properties, the heat generated is efiectively utilised in raising the temperature of the jaws uniformly throughout their mass.

tected against the moisture present in=the+'agents used on the hair and yet the whole heater member is simple to produce and assemble.

What I claim is:

An electric heater member for permanent hair waving comprising a pair ofsolidvsemieannular clamping jaws of heat conducting-*material pivoted together adjacent one longitudinalxedge; and thickened towards said longitudinal edge, a 20 lip-f 2,443,133

i k-REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the v: fileiofl, thispatent Furthermore, the heating elementsuare fullyipro-f UNITED STATES PATENTS I; Number fName Date -lf972'fi21 Decker Sept. 4, 1934 2 ,0 45,056 Schleimer June 23, 1936 2,278,335 Stearns Mar. 31, 1942 

